1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a skin plate for use in an ostomy appliance, wherein the bending of the skin plate occurs at desired areas. In particular, a convex shell is described for use in a skin plate wherein bending is focused to at least four sections.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Skin plates, also called base plates, are used in ostomy appliances to attach ostomy bags to the skin of a user having a stoma, the user also being referred to as an ostomate.
The skin plate is typically formed by a backing layer, e.g. a polyurethane film, on which a skin friendly adhesive is disposed. A through-going hole is arranged in the skin plate to receive a stoma so that the skin plate may be adhered to the skin surrounding the stoma.
In order to collect output from the stoma, the opening of an ostomy bag is arranged around the through-going hole. The ostomy bag may for example be arranged by welding the bag to the backing layer of the skin plate. This is in the art referred to as a one-piece ostomy appliance. Alternatively, a coupling arrangement, either adhesively or mechanically may be arranged so that ostomy bags may be arranged detachably on the skin plate. This allows the bag to be changed when full without detaching the skin plate from the skin. In the art, this is referred to as a two-piece ostomy appliance.
A number of ostomates develop so-called sunken/retracted stomas. This is where a stoma sinks into the abdomen which creates a recess in the stomach where the stoma is placed. Applying a planar skin plate around such a stoma would for one thing leave the area around the stoma uncovered and thereby, exposed to the output from the stoma. Moreover, in some cases the stoma is retracted so much that it is not even possible for it to extend through the through-going hole in the skin plate. In order to address the issue of sunken stoma convex skin plates has been developed.
These have a convex surface contour where an outer planar area is adhered to an outer skin area which surrounds the stoma, but where the skin is not pulled inwards towards the stoma. An intermediate area of the convex surface, having a slanting surface along the axis of the through-going hole, adheres to the skin area between the outer skin area and the inner skin area described hereafter. Finally, an inner planar area of the convex surface is adhered to an inner skin area which immediately surrounds the stoma.
Typically and described in general, such convex skin plates are manufactured by forming a planar skin plate as described above to a convex shell. The convex shell has the desired contour and shape and is formed in a material which is more rigid than the planar skin plate. The planar skin plate is pressed to the shape of the convex shell thereafter they are joined together, typically by welding or adhesive.
Thus, by choosing a suitable shell having a contour and shape which fit the characteristics of the sunken stoma, an ostomy appliance may be provided which snugly fits around the stoma, reducing the risk that output from the stoma gets in contact with the surrounding skin.
It has shown that the tissue surrounding such sunken stoma in some cases, in particular when relating to overweight and obese people, collapses around the convex skin plate. During such collapse, there is a risk the skin plate is dislodged or that the skin plate folds across the stoma and closes off the function of the stoma.
Furthermore, during activity the movement of the body causes constant bending around with the risk of creating pressure ulcers.
As will be described herein, it has been shown that by controlling where and how the skin plate bends it is possible to improve the stability of the area around the stoma and to distribute the load on the convex skin plate so that the risk of dislodging and pressure ulcers is reduced.